Revolver Coffee – Revolver Cold Brew

Earlier this week, I learned that Revolver Coffee has launched a cold, bottled drink, Revolver Cold Brew. Of course, I have to share the news with my team KB and AM. Not only are we all coffee drinkers (often crave a nice cup of coffee around 2:30pm in the afternoon), but as marketers, we are also intrigued by interesting marketing concepts and packaging. Successfully convinced them to check out Revolver with me, we trekked about 10 blocks to the corner of Cambie and Hastings.

Revolver Coffee

I remember my co-workers have been talking about this unique coffee shop for quite some time now. It’s an interesting concept. They sell no more than 10 types of coffee on a given day, a focused approach to ensure quality. The brewed coffee offering changes weekly, and it’s marked at market price depending on the brew you choose. Every cup of coffee is made individually to order, so the best cup of coffee will get to each customer’s hands. They have an extensive system and program, as well as use top-notch roasters to craft every cup of coffee to perfection.

Lab-like coffee shop

So, the Revolver Cold Brew. According to Scout and the signage in-store, the coffee is brewed for 12 hours overnight, then bottled fresh in this flask-like glass bottle (some may say it looks like a cough syrup bottle) everyday. Each bottle is sold at $4.50, which may sound pricey but you get a bottle to take home.

How the Cold Brew is made

Verdict? We had it on the rocks (lol yes, not only the packaging suggests alcohol, even the way of enjoying it suggests alcohol), and it was pretty good. I’ve always liked a bit of cream or milk in my coffee (no sugar), so having iced black coffee is somewhat new to me. It’s a dark roast, so it’s quite strong, with a hint of sourness in it. I’ve tried it without ice (neat, in alcohol terms) as well, and frankly it was a bit too bitter for me; I prefer to have a few cubes of ice to slightly dilute the strong taste of coffee. It’s refreshing on a hot, summer day.

After finishing mine, I picked up a couple more bottles to take home. Now I have to come up with creative ways to re-use the bottle. I think we can start with a brown paper bag and go from there.

Cold Brew on the rocks

While sitting in the coffee shop and sipping my coffee, I couldn’t help but noticed the simple, minimalist decor. What caught my eyes was this map on the wall that pinpoints the origin of their coffee beans. I thought it was a very neat idea.

“Map” on the wall that shows you where the coffee beans are from

Final Thoughts

The whole concept of Revolver really intrigues me. I like the focused, yet ever-changing menu. While the Cold Brew could be viewed as a cool, gimmicky concept, they successfully deliver a cup of (it’s 250ml per bottle) good quality iced coffee. Brewing the perfect cup of coffee is not just an art, it’s a science.